Kate

Henry slammed his fist down on the ebony conference table in the Underworld palace. "How could I have been such an idiot?! This is all my fault… And, you know what? I bet Cronus knew all along!"

I rest my hand over his. "Calm down," I whispered softly.

The rest of the Council's eyes settled on us. I could feel my father's eyes burn through me. I knew he was thinking this was Henry's fault, too, but I knew it wasn't. He couldn't have known.

My mother's eyes found mine. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, we can't stop them if they're awake," I heard Dylan grumble. Always the optimist.

I ran my thumb over the back of Henry's hand. "We'll figure out something. We always do."

My father shook his head, looking as old as I'd ever seen him. "That was before we were a Council of twelve, with a pregnant queen. Calliope, much as I hate to admit it, was one of our most powerful fighters. Without her, I honestly don't know if we stand a chance."

"Of course we do!" James cried. "We always stand a chance! When have we ever backed down from a challenge before? We're gods!"

Walter gave his brothers a weary look. I felt Henry's tendons tense under my hand. "The last time we fought these Titans, we were young and foolish. It took thousands of years to put them to sleep and lock them in the ground. You weren't there, James. None of you were. Not even..." He choked as he stumbled over the other council member who hadn't been there and my heart went out to him. He missed Ava with his whole being. "But, hard as Cronus was to fight, these...these Titans aren't like him." Henry looked at James with weary eyes that scared even me. "The last war with these Titans burned the world. It was reborn, humans from the ashes. The world isn't made of scattered parties anymore, my friends. It is made of love, and families, and cities. And if we attempt to fight these monsters, we risk burning the world and everything in it."

Xander frowned. "So, we start from scratch?"

My mother's eyes found his, and in her look I saw the ancient light of her soul, the light of the goddess Demeter. "When we stopped being worshipped centuries ago, Xander, our fates became tied to those of humans. If they fade, we all do."The words hit me like a tidal wave. "If the world goes up in smoke, we cease to exist."

Dylan stood suddenly, his chair crashing as it hit the floor. "That's such bull! If we fight, we die. If we don't fight, all goes to Tartarus! What are our options, then?"

Walter stood, pushing on Dylan's shoulder and forcing him to sit once more. "We fight. For everything that is good and just in the world. We fight for humanity. We fight for our family."

"With only twelve?" I heard Ella ask softly. How was it that brusque, commanding Ella suddenly seemed so utterly dejected?

"Thirteen," we heard a gasp. I turned to see Nicolas running in, dragging someone behind him. There were murmurs all around the table as Henry and I both stood. Mari stood awkwardly behind Nicolas, looking at everyone. She looked like a kid that had gotten his hand stuck in a cookie jar.

"What are you doing here?" Henry boomed.

"Henry," Nicolas asked in an imploring tone. "Listen to me."

Henry seemed taken aback. Nicolas spoke with passion and fire that we hadn't heard in him in...well, ever. Not even when Ava had been alive had I heard anything but the soft-spoken, shy man who always seemed more confident with tools than people. "You didn't believe you could find another Persephone, did you?"

There was silence in the hall and Henry straightened up. That was the reason I was here at all. (And I mean like here on Earth, not just in the council room.) There had been a set of trials, dangerous trials set forth by the Council to deem a single mortal girl fit to achieve immortality and sit at Henry's side as the queen of the Underworld. I had been last ditch effort. After many girls had tried and failed the tasks (all due to untimely deaths thanks to Calliope), my mother, Diana, had begged her brother Henry for one last chance before he faded. So, that's where I came in. I lived my life in New York until my mom "started dying of cancer". We drove to her hometown of Eden and, well, the rest is history as they say. I was Henry's new Persephone and, trust me, no one was more surprised than me.

"Of course I didn't," Henry said softly, though his voice boomed throughout the onyx-laid chamber. "Do you remember a promise you made to Ava, oh, about seventeen years ago?" Nicolas queried, raising an eyebrow. I frowned. Seventeen years ago would have meant I was just a kid. I looked to Henry. It was like he'd turned to stone. Everyone else seemed just as confused as me. "Let me fill you in." Nicolas, sounding...well, sassy, almost, walked further into the chamber. Mari stood framed in the doorway. She looked almost frail. Ignoring the questioning looks of the Council, I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her in a motherly/sisterly embrace. "Seventeen years ago," Nicolas began. I didn't think I'd ever heard him speak so confidently. "Seventeen years ago, Henry made a promise to Ava. If she could find a mortal man with whom she was happy, he would allow him to become immortal. Even with her countless lovers, she felt that mortal men would be able to satiate her need for...affection.

"And, so, she found a man. Sven Diggens." Henry whirled at that. Why did that name sound so familiar to me? I heard Mari whimper and I remembered. That was her drunken uncle. The one the poor orphan lived with. "He claimed to love her and so Ava begged him to make Sven immortal so that they could be together forever. And, so, not one to go back on his word, Henry was about to bestow immortality, but he couldn't. Turned out, Ava was pregnant. And the rule goes that if a mortal impregnates a goddess, he must remain mortal.

"Naturally, Ava was furious, and she took it out on the child. She gave her to Mr. Diggens and said, 'Do what you want,' before disappearing from his life forever. He put the baby up for adoption until the parents died and she was put back into his care. "Gods and goddesses of the Council, I give you my wife's bastard."

Mari

I hate crying, but I can't see another logical response to being told that the parents I remember weren't actually my parents, my mother didn't want me, and an uncle whom I hate is actually my father. And, so I'm up in my room, sobbing into my pillow while the Council deliberate what will happen to me. I wonder what they're talking about. Nicolas went on to say that it's my birthright to take Ava's seat on the throne, but Walter countered that I was still mortal and should have to complete the tasks that Kate did. They all started arguing about what I was and was not entitled to, but the comment that really set me off was James demanding if it was my "birthright" to be Nicolas's wife, now that Ava was gone. It sends shivers down my spine. Sure, I mean, Nicolas is a nice guy, but I'm not sure I want to marry him.

I mean, come on… I still want to marry Orlando Bloom!

I hear a soft knock on my door and sit up, rubbing my eyes. I try to keep my voice from cracking as I call out, "Come in."

A gentle woman with beautiful eyes walks in. I recognize her, but I don't know her name. She's on the Council-I wonder if they're finished deliberating already? "Hello, Mari," she says gently. "I'm Sofia. I was thinking maybe you'd like some tea to help you calm down."

I'm a little surprised, believe it or not. I mean, I know everyone here is like...oh, so nice, but tea? I smile. "Um, thanks, Sofia." She walks in and sets down the tray. The tea smells really good-spicy with a hint of mint. It really does calm me down. Sofia pours a bit into a mug with a lemon wedge in it, then hands it to me. I hold the scalding thing in my hands and wrap my fingers around it.

"Thank you," I say genuinely.

"I'm sorry about that down there," she confides softly. "They can get a little intense sometimes, huh?"

"I guess. I mean, Nicolas and I were walking around, then all of a sudden, he just grabbed my arm and demanded I tell him what my uncle's name was. Then, we were in the front foyer and the Council room and…" I feel myself get a little dizzy.

Sofia frowns. "I don't think all of this excitement is good for you concussion, my dear." She takes the tea mug from my hands and looks into my eyes. "I'll go fetch Theo, okay?" Without another word, she's gone.

I blink a few times, trying to clear my head, but unfortunately it does little to help. I groan, cursing my weak body wishing this whole concussion would just go away when I see something furry rush into the room and hop onto my bed. I giggle as Pogo licks my face. I get the feeling no matter how down-and-out you're feeling, a puppy can always make you feel better. I look up, then and see two figures in the doorway. Kate is wearing a soft smile, but her eyes don't have that same soft, constant sparkle. She looks old. Not like a grandma, but like someone's who seen the world. Henry stands beside her, looking like a king. His eyes are hard and he looks at me sternly, as if he is my father and going to reprimand me. I swallow hard. The two of them make a rather intimidating painting.

"Mari, may we have a word?" Henry asks softly. I nod and make room on my bed. They walk over and perch. "The Council has made a decision," Henry says gravely.

I purse my lips, figuring in a few seconds I'll have forgotten all of the amazing things that have happened the past few days and go back to my lame old teenaged life. I close my eyes waiting for those sad words.

"We have decided that it is your birthright to take your mother's place on the Council." I look up, suddenly. Well, that sure wasn't what I was expecting.

"Wait...you aren't kicking me out?"

Kate shakes her head. "Well, no. We need someone to take Ava's place and we figured who better than her own daughter."

"Now, there is a catch," Henry says, cutting off his wife. I've never seen him do that before. Then again, I've never seen Henry like this before. I'll admit-it scares me a little.

"What's that?" I squeak.

"You have seven days to complete each of the Goddess Test tasks."

"The what?" Kate explains quickly-almost too quickly-that I have to complete seven tasks at the end of which the Council will decide whether or not I'm worthy to take my mother's place. "Seven days," I repeat.

Henry nods. I take a deep breath. In seven days, my life will change forever: I'll either become a goddess or go back to my life with no memory of anything. "Why such little time?" I ask.

"Because we're running out of time," Henry snaps. His moonlight eyes harden and I cower back from him. He frowns. "Mari, I'm sorry. That wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have snapped." He closes his eyes and runs a hand over his face. "I think it's time we explained to you what's going on in our world."